Forecast

Mather glad he's back on field

Rich Elliott| on June 15, 2014

BRIDGEPORT -- Joe Mather thought he had reached the point where he was ready to move on with his life. Logging countless miles and watching too many games from the bench last season during stints with four teams was not he what he had in mind.

Mather had assembled a prolific career to that point, one that spanned 13 seasons. He spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues. Walking away is a daunting task for a player. Yet, it was a path that Mather had begun to accept.

"I was just tired of everything," Mather said. "Baseball is such a grind. Being a hitter, even if you're doing well, you're failing a lot. I played a long time already and I was just kind of over the whole thing."

Mather, 31, was not in spring training this year. Instead, he gained enjoyment coaching at his alma mater, Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee, Ariz. His father, Paul, is an assistant coach. And the school's shortstop, Cole Tucker, was drafted 24th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this month.

While the young players were able to learn from Mather, he too learned from them. He had forgotten how hungry athletes are at that age. They are filled with fire and determination.

Mather remembered being that way when he was their age. In turn, their fire rekindled one inside of him.

The itch to return to the game had returned for Mather in early May. It was one he did not fight. And when the Bridgeport Bluefish offered him a job a few weeks later, he accepted.

"They work their butts off," Mather said. "You just kind of feed off of them. That was definitely the reason. I had no intention. Even halfway through their season I had no intention of coming back."

Mather was at home in Phoenix giving baseball lessons after Mountain Pointe's season had ended. He took his own teachings into batting practice with his dad. He liked what he saw. He then had another batting practice session with his dad and again he liked what he saw.

The next step was to ask his fiance and his parents how they felt about him returning to the game. They were proponents of the move. Mather was signed by the Bluefish May 24.

"It was literally one phone call. Signed, sealed and delivered," Bluefish Director of Baseball Operations Paul Herrmann said. "He was wanting to play this year. He just didn't have an opportunity. And we were there for him."

The process has been slow and steady since Mather joined the Bluefish. Through Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Lancaster Barnstormers at Harbor Yard, he is hitting .259 with one double, one home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored in 17 games.

Mather has also drawn 12 walks and owns a .403 on-base percentage.

"He's got good tools," Bluefish manager Willie Upshaw said. "He's been in the big leagues. He swings a little underneath. And we're just trying to get him on top a little more because he sees the ball very well."

Mather hit a combined .219 with 26 doubles, 14 home runs and 49 RBIs in 229 games in the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals (2008, 2010), Atlanta Braves (2011) and Chicago Cubs (2012). Of course, he would relish an opportunity to return. However, at this juncture, Mather has his eye on landing a job in Japan.

One thing is certain, though, after pondering retirement, Mather is back in the game. And he is all-in right now as a member of the Bluefish.

"I see (the big leagues) as a possibility," Mather said. "I certainly wouldn't push that away. But, again, Japan or the big leagues or whatever it is, I just want to kind of be as good as I can be and have no regrets looking back."